Zona Cafetera

Colombia is one of the top suppliers of coffee in the world. one of the regions where the coffee is produced is in the eje cafetero also known as the coffee triangle consisting in the departments of Risaralda, Quindío and Caldas.

we visited Quindío and stayed 8km away from Armenia in a traditional finca del café. Armenia is a big town that suffered from an earthquake in 1999. Since then the city has not been fully recovered. Nevertheless, if you visit the town you wiil find a high amount of local trade, as well as tourists jumping into the city to get another way of transport. in the main city there is a lot of commerce of hand made crafts.

The region of Quindío has many things to offer besides the production of coffee and plantains. I would recommend the following places worth visiting:

Finca Buena Vista: Open only on weekends and Fridays. here you will enjoy an amazing view of the coffee region plus a guided tour of the finca del café.

Salento: very close to the valle de Cocora. Also a very nice spot with an amazing view. We enjoyed our stay with a horse ride very worth to pay. In salento there are many restaurants offering delightful fish called trucha. many hand made crafts, and also coffee shops to have a rest

Panaca: This is an agricultural and animal farm. kids can interact easily with pigs, horses, hens, dogs cats and all sort of animals

coffee park: this is a thematic park that offers many attractions including a roller coaster and a show worth to see every day of the history of coffee and its production in Colombia

Recuca: this is the best guided tour of the coffee culture, process and production of coffee in Colombia told with the finest humor of a Paisa. Be prepared to dress up and dance one of the most traditional dances of the region.

Cartagena & Rosario Islands: Paradise on earth

Cartagena is located in the Caribbean cost of Colombia, is one of the main ports in America, and nowadays is well known because of its Colonial architecture. It is also known as  » Colonial walled city  » and was designated In 1984 a Unesco world Heritage site.

The official entrance to downtown is the Puerta del Reloj (Clock Gate), here started our trip. I was a little bit ashamed for not being in this city before, as it is one of the most touristic cities in Colombia, and for sure one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been.

Cartagena is much more than a colonial city: when  you visit the city, you will be surrounded by  colorful houses, horse carriages,plenty of history from the colonial times, massive churches, plazas where you will see people dancing « Mapale » and other typical dances from Colombia, coffee zones, and trendy shops from the best designers in the Country. I personally loved the locally made crafts.

Regarding the food, you can taste the best food directly in the street: Cocadas, in the noth entrance of the clock gate, or buy a fruit or agua de coco from the palanqueras. (Ladies that carry the fruits in their heads), arepa de huevo, and the best fried food in the plaza San diego. If you have a better budget you can also afford a ceviche in front of Santa Teresa hotel, and try the sea dishes that different restaurants offer. If you chose, to try something local you can visit the Coroncoro restaurant located in the Getsemani neighborhood, Dorothea, or kiosko el bony directly in the beach.

If you are looking for a room, with a low budget, you will find plenty of hostels in Getsemani, but a better choice depending on the number of travelers, could be to rent an apartment located in bocagrande or laguito.(http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rentals/colombia/cartagena)

Islands close to Cartagena:

Isla del Pirata: one of the 30 islands which makes up the Isla de Rosarios archipelago. This is a private island, you can expect to pay between 95,000 COP and 115,000 COP which includes the trip to and from the island, and a delicious lunch (freshly caught fish with coconut rice) the advantage of this place is that is not as crowdy as playa blanca, you can relax in the beach and do some snorkeling in the cristal sea. if you decide to overnight, you also have the option to book one of the bungalow that the island offers.

Isla Baru, Playa blanca: This is the most touristic but also one of the most traditional beaches in Colombia. In the high season you will certainly find a jam-packed full of tourists, and local sellers pushing you to buy anything. Nevertheless if you go in the low season, you will find a very nice place to relax with the white sand & cristal water of the sea. You can get there overland or by boat.40,000 COP. I personally recommend to take the opportunity once you are there, to get a massage worth 30,000 COP.